James Naismith

Meet the Past with Crosby Kemper III returns for a conversation with James Naismith, portrayed by Bill Worley.

In 1891 Canadian minister and physical education teacher James Naismith invented a game that could be played indoors. He called it “basket ball” after the peach baskets which served as goals. A few years later he founded the University of Kansas basketball program (he worked for KU until his retirement in 1937 at the age of 76).

The event will be taped by KCPT for later broadcast. Major funding provided by the Courtney S. Turner Charitable Trust, Ken and Cindy McClain, and the J.B. Reynolds Foundation.